


Playing the Part

by ZoneRobotnik



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Someone get this kid therapy, basically a "what if Varian was the actor for the play instead of Vlad" idea, cassandra is trying to change what happened and varian doesn't like it, varian is a theater kid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25745125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoneRobotnik/pseuds/ZoneRobotnik
Summary: When Cassandra-disguised-as-Faith is pushed into playing the role of Rapunzel in a play during the "Goodwill Festival", she finds herself facing Varian in the role of...herself. And he's determined to make sure the play goes as planned.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 70





	Playing the Part

**Author's Note:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney
> 
> ((A/N: This was inspired by a conversation I was having with a friend.))

Cassandra had lied a little too much now. To explain away her odd behavior, she’d said she did some acting. And that had gotten her volunteered by Rapunzel to come and replace an actress in a play. The play that, she recalled from seeing a poster, was about the fateful battle at the top of her tower. A play that she had cringed at the very idea of before.  
  
And now here she was, ten minutes to curtain, being handed a yarn wig that was made to look like Rapunzel’s hair and a script that was several pages long. “How am I going to memorize this?” She muttered. She’d just take it with her, she decided.  
  
She put the wig on, tucking in her hair, and then Feldspar was ushering her to the stage.  
  
Five minutes to curtain. She hadn’t seen the other actors yet, but she supposed they were already in their places. It was time to prepare herself for…well, reliving one of the worst days of her life. The day that she resorted to…terrible things. To hurting a friend that just wanted to help her.  
  
She was ushered onstage and she stepped out, clutching at her script nervously.  
  
“Pascal? Are you here?” She asked as she stepped out, reading from the script.  
  
A panel of the black-painted stage opened and she saw someone dressed as herself, complete with the bodysuit and Moonstone, come out of the floor on some kind of contraption. “Yeah. He’s here.” He said, and she realized it was _Varian_ in the costume. In his hand was a caged Pascal – the _actual_ Pascal, she realized – and he tapped something on the cage to make it open before setting the lizard down so he could scamper over to her and climb into her palms.  
  
Cassandra held the lizard close, hoping that he wouldn’t know it was her. She heard footsteps and gasped, looking up at Varian.  
  
“You made a _mistake_ coming here.” He said, his gaze cold.  
  
“Cass,” she set Pascal on her shoulder and stood up, “I am _not_ leaving this tower until this is resolved.”  
;  
He grinned and flicked his wrist before "black rock" props covered the steps to backstage. “Then, I guess you’re _not_ _leaving_.” He said with a sly grin.  
  
“Cass, I…I _don’t_ want to fight you.” Cassandra said, frowning. He was getting a _little_ too into the role, she thought. Was casting _him_ , a former villain, as the villain _really_ a good idea? “Cassandra, I understand that you’ve been feeling like—like _no one_ ever gives you a chance. And that is _my_ fault.”  
  
Varian stared at her blankly, then slowly raised an eyebrow that disappeared under his Cassandra wig. Then he gave the tiniest shrug before moving on.  
  
“Aw, how _nice_ of you to _admit_ it finally, Raps!” He said, putting a hand on his hip in a sassy way. “But, admitting it doesn’t _change_ what you’ve _done_. And you _know_ I won’t stop until I have what I _want_.”  
  
Cassandra groaned inwardly. “How _far_ will you go?” She asked. “You’ve already done _so much_! Don’t…don’t you have _any_ regret?”  
  
“I have nothing left to lose, Rapunzel.” He said coldly. “You took _everything_ from me. _Every_ chance I had, you _always_ got in my way.” He clenched his fists tightly at his sides. “ _Everyone_ sided with you, even my adopted father. Even my _own mother_ chose you over me! How do you think that _feels_ , to learn that you weren’t good enough for _anyone_?”  
  
“I don’t _understand_ why you didn’t _talk_ to me about this _before_ you took the Moonstone!” Cassandra gestured to the fake one on his chest.  
  
“Would you have _listened_? You didn’t listen to _Varian_ , why would you have listened to _me_?” He asked in a mocking way.  
  
“Ooooooh…” Someone in the crowd said. Rapunzel watched them anxiously, clutching at her chest.  
  
“As long as _you_ were happy, that’s all that mattered to _anyone_. I _tried_ to be a friend to you, but you were _never_ a true friend to me. You _destroyed my hand_ because you didn’t trust me and went ahead with a dangerous plan and I _foolishly_ tried to _stop_ you!” He held up his right hand. “Well, thanks to the Moonstone,” he moved his right hand to the fake Moonstone, “I’ve healed my hand. And thanks to your _precious little alchemist_ , I now have the _full_ power of the Moonstone. And _nothing_ will stop me from taking _everything_ from you!”  
  
“Cass, please, hear me out!” Cassandra cried. “We don’t _have_ to fight! I don’t _want_ to fight you! Why can’t we just go back to the way it was before? What can I do to make things _right_?”  
  
“You can’t undo the past, Rapunzel.” Varian said coolly. “My mother is _dead_ because of you. I will _never_ know her, because of _you_!” He stepped closer and Cassandra stepped back, then stepped forward, standing her ground. “Let down your hair, Rapunzel.” He smirked. “Or is all this pathetic pleading just because you think you can’t beat me? Even with all that’s at stake, you _still_ won’t fight me?”  
  
“I won’t! Because…because that would only add to the pain I _already_ caused you!” Cassandra said, stepping forward.  
  
“Then, surrender.” He said flatly. She stopped, her eyes widening. “You heard me. Surrender to me, give up your Sundrop and that’ll make everything aaaaall better.”  
  
“No, I _won’t_ do that.” She shook her head. “I-I mean, I _can’t_ do that, it’s not on top of me like the Moonstone is on you!”  
  
He shrugged. “Yeah, guess you have a point.” He chuckled. “Well, then I guess you’ll have to fight me or be my prisoner, forever. And as for Fitzherbert and Varian? Well, one flick of the wrist and they’ll _drop_.”  
  
“No!” Cassandra stepped forward. “You wouldn’t! You’re…You’re _not_ that _cruel_!”  
  
By the Sun, did he _really_ think she would’ve _dropped_ him?!  
  
He looked like he was contemplating her words, then sighed. “You’re right, I wouldn’t _drop_ them.” Cassandra felt relieved, then gasped as he snapped his fingers and the stage opened up again, bringing up two figures, one in a black cage and the other bound in some kind of black contraption. “But, I _never_ said I wouldn’t _hurt_ them.”   
  
“Cassandra, let him go!” Cassandra said firmly.  
  
“Let _who_ go?” He smirked and walked over to the duo. “Fitzherbert? Or maybe the _kid_?” He leaned on the cage, smirking at the kid playing as Varian as they cringed away from him. Was that Angry? “You should _really_ be more specific.”  
  
“Ugh! Let _them_ go!” Cassandra corrected.  
  
“Ah.” He stepped away from the cage. “No, I don’t think I will.” He gripped the face of the actor playing Eugene. “You won’t fight _me_ , but will you fight for _him_?” He asked mockingly.  
  
“Cass, _please_ , leave them _alone_! No one _else_ has to be involved!” Cassandra pleaded.  
  
“Hm, should’ve thought of _that_ before you asked the kid to translate the scroll for you.” He said, walking away from the Eugene actor. “I just realized I forgot to give you _my_ birthday present, Eugene.” He clenched his fist and the contraction tightened around the Eugene actor, earning a groan of pain.  
  
“Don’t give in to her! Don’t do _anything_ she says!” The actor cried.  
  
Someone in the audience gasped. “It was his _birthday_?”  
  
Angry turned to Cassandra. “Rapunzel! I have the final incantation!” She pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper and held it out towards her. “You _have_ to use it!”  
  
Cassandra looked at the paper, stunned, and then Pascal latched onto the piece of paper to bring it over to her. Cassandra accepted the paper and unrolled it with shaking hands.  
  
“Final Incantation?” Varian turned to “Eugene”. “ _What_ is he talking about?!”  
  
Reading these words made her feel ill. She could feel the searing heat, hear the echoing of her voice.  
  
“I can’t…” Cassandra breathed.  
  
“Crescent high above,” Varian said, raising a hand as “black rocks” started to rise out of panels in the floor, “evolving as you go.”  
  
“Cass, I _don’t_ want to fight you!” Cassandra tried to insist.  
  
“Rapunzel!” Angry cried in terror as the “rocks” started to surround her cage. “Use it.” She pleaded.  
  
‘That was _really_ convincing.’ Cassandra thought, then looked at the paper. “Power of the sun, gift me with your light. Shine into the dark, restore our fading sight.” She gripped the paper tightly and Pascal did something with her wig that let it fall loose and, apparently, _glow_ as it rested on the ground around her.   
  
Varian flinched back, looking at her with wide eyes and a hand raised protectively.  
  
“Rise into the dawn, blazing star so bright!” Cassandra gasped a bit as something came from the ceiling and wrapped around her, lifting her into the air as more contraptions grabbed her hair to raise it up with her. Everything about this just _yelled_ “Varian put WAY too much effort into this”.  
  
Someone turned on yellow lanterns that lit up the stage brightly.  
  
Varian lowered his hand. “Impossible!”  
  
“Burn away the strife,” Cassandra continued, “let our hope ignite. Let hope ignite!”  
  
She was lowered to the ground with her hair and she tossed the paper to the side. “ _Don’t_ make me do this, Cassandra. _Don’t_ make me hurt you more than I have! Just _let them go_ and this…this can _all_ be over!”  
  
“You say that _after_ you’ve used this new incantation.” Varian said sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.  
  
“You forced my hand, you _hurt_ Eugene!” Cassandra gestured to the actor. “I didn’t want to have to fight you, but _you’re_ not giving me a choice! Why can’t you just let me make things _right_?!”  
  
“Even if I _were_ to let them go, do you think that’d be the _end_ of it?! This battle isn’t over until one of us _loses_!” He clutched at his fake Moonstone. “If I _lose_ , I lose the _Moonstone_ and you know it! _You_ were going to take it for _yourself_!”  
  
“I was going to _destroy_ it!” Cassandra shook her head. “It’s too _dangerous_ —”  
  
“Oh, so you’d be the _only_ one to have powers? Hey, I have a _great_ idea! Why don’t _you_ destroy the _Sundrop_ , too!” He said with a wide grin.  
  
“Y-You _know_ I can’t do that.” Cassandra moved her hand to her chest.   
  
“Sooo, you admit that you’re _wrong_ , that you _hurt_ me, that I’m _always in your shadow_ , but you _won’t_ do anything to make up for it and _even_ try to get me to give up the _one_ thing that’s making us equals.” Varian leaned against the Eugene actor, who whispered something to him and he just shrugged in response. “You know, Eugene, I don’t think ‘Blondie’ is being very _fair_.”  
  
“ _Don’t_ try to turn him against me!” Cassandra fumed. “And let him go, before I do something we _both_ regret!”  
  
“Do. Your. Worst.” Varian taunted. “Because I’m _not_ giving up this Moonstone. I’m going to take _everything_ from you, just like _you_ took it all from me!” He laughed bitterly. “You wouldn’t even let me have a _love life_ without you butting in!”  
  
“Ohhhh!” The audience said and Rapunzel winced a bit.  
  
 _Clearly_ , Varian had, uh, done his _homework_! Cassandra didn’t think that anyone _knew_ of her, uh, _brief_ _relationship_!  
  
“Th-That has nothing to _do_ with this!” She sputtered, and Varian let out a skeptical hum. “Cassandra, please, I’m _sorry_! I didn’t _mean_ to hurt you, I should have been more _observant_ , I should’ve _seen_ that you were _hurting_!” Cassandra stepped forward.  
  
“ _Fight_ me, Rapunzel, or Corona falls and _everyone_ you love will _suffer_.” Varian said coldly.  
  
“I _won’t_.” Cassandra shook her head. “I _refuse_ to hurt you again!”  
  
“Okay, then.” He walked over to her and she stepped back. “Then, what was the _point_ of using that _incantation_? As a _scare_ tactic? Because I’m not scared.”  
  
“Please, _don’t_ make me hurt you…” Cassandra pleaded.  
  
“Crescent high above.” He held out his hand and more "black rock" props were raised from the floor. It was a _very_ impressive set-up, as expected of him.  
  
“No!” She shoved him back and Varian stumbled back a bit, moving his hand to his Moonstone quickly to make sure it was unharmed before he grinned maliciously. “Cassandra, please! Just listen to me!”  
  
“I’m _done_ listening to you prattle on!” He said firmly, then stepped back, raising his hands. Blue lanterns were lit and the stage was bathed in yellow and blue. “Fight me, or I kill them _both_.”  
  
“No!” Cassandra cried, then clenched her fists. “Fine… _fine!_ You _win_!” She held out her hands at her sides, stepping towards him. “I will FIGHT!”  
  
Varian swung his arm forward and the “rocks” were rolled towards her on little wheels. She knocked them away, moving towards him. “Kch!”  
  
“I _tried_ to go easy on you. I _tried_ to do this the peaceful way. _Why_ wouldn’t you _listen_?! _Why_ couldn’t you just _wait_ and _talk it out_?! Why do you make me _fight you_?!” Cassandra asked, moving towards him, her glowing wig trailing behind her.   
  
Pascal hopped off of her shoulder and onto the cage, watching anxiously.  
  
Because we _both_ know that, if I give in, there is _nothing_ for me.” Varian said bitterly. “I have _nothing_ left to lose, Rapunzel. Because of _you_.”  
  
“No, you _still_ have something! You have me! And Eugene!” Cassandra insisted.  
  
“I have a _prison cell_ waiting for me with my _name_ on it, that’s _all_ I have!” Varian snapped, raising his hand and prompting more “black rocks” to be rolled out to “attack”, only for them to be knocked away easily again. “You want to take my powers, you want to take my freedom; well, that’s _all_ I have _left_!”  
  
Cassandra threw her arms up in frustration and wind came from somewhere, pushing against them from behind her as something flashed in the background. Varian flinched back, then threw out his hand, prompting more “rocks” to be sent.  
  
“Just let them go, and this can _all_ be put to an end!” Cassandra pleaded.  
  
“It’s not over until I _win_!” Varian cried. “This is my _Destiny_ , Rapunzel! And I _won’t_ give it up for _anything_!”  
  
The cage around Angry opened and she cried out as she was thrown off into the audience by some kind of unseen mechanism. Lance himself caught her and held her close before taking her backstage.  
  
‘That explains how he survived the fall.’ Cassandra thought, glancing over at them.  
  
The contraption holding Eugene opened up and he struggled against the wind.  
  
“I _don’t_ want to do this, Cassandra!” Cassandra pleaded. “Just…stop _fighting_ me!”  
  
“I _won’t_ lose!” Varian cried. “I’m _not_ gonna lose!”  
  
The wind picked up and he struggled against it before the “black rocks” around the stage all dropped and he stumbled back and then “fell” down the stairs leading backstage with a “No!” cry of frustration and agony.  
  
Rapunzel brought a hand to her mouth, probably thinking of when Varian had let out a similar cry when _he_ had been defeated.  
  
“Eugene” went over to Cassandra. “Sunshine, are…are you okay?”  
  
Cassandra looked towards where Varian had disappeared to. “No, I…I’m not.” She looked at him. “Why wouldn’t she _listen_ to me?”  
  
He pulled her into a hug and she clung to him, the crowd letting out “aww”s of adoration at the couple.  
  
Then they got up and headed off to backstage as the audience clapped and Rapunzel looked thoughtful as she headed off.  
  
\--  
  
Cassandra sighed as she took off the Rapunzel wig and adjusted Faith’s headdress. “That was…uh… _something_.”  
  
“Well, it certainly _became_ something.” Varian walked over to her, still in his bodysuit but the wig removed. Off to the side, Angry was washing blue dye out of her hair with Lance's help. “Why did you go off-script? I had to really _work_ to get back to the direction the play was _supposed_ to go.”  
  
“Sorry…” He sighed. “I just…thought that maybe… _maybe_ Princess Rapunzel…made a _mistake_.”  
  
His expression softened and he reached out to place his gloved hand on her shoulder. “I understand that you might want to think that maybe your old coworker isn’t all bad…but, Cassandra hates Rapunzel for something that was _completely_ out of her control. And she wouldn’t listen to _reason_ when I tried to talk her out of it. Even if Rapunzel has her flaws…she didn’t _ask_ to be kidnapped by Cassandra’s mother.”  
  
“But, you _sure_ made a convincing argument for her.” Cassandra nodded. “By the way, uh, did she… _really_ get in the way of her love life?”  
  
“Oh, yeah.” Varian laughed. “You remember Andrew, my old cellmate and, uh, _boss_? The leader of the Saporians?” Cassandra nodded, though she didn’t know about _any_ of that in truth. “Well, _apparently_ , he dated Cassandra before to try to get to King Herz Der Sonne’s journal, but he got _caught_ when he actually went for it and _that’s_ why he was in prison. And _he_ said that the entire time, Rapunzel was, heh, _flirting_. A _lot_. To the point that he was feeling uncomfortable but he was too polite to say it. Cassandra was _so_ annoyed!” He laughed. “Anyways, good show today. Was _way_ more dramatic than what really happened.” He turned to go. “I gotta go, need to get changed and then go on patrol with Eugene.”  
  
“Patrol?” Cassandra asked.  
  
“Well, yeah. We need to watch out for any sign of Cassandra.” He waved and walked off to the “Dressing room” tent.  
  
“Did you have _fun_?”  
  
Cassandra almost jumped in alarm and quickly looked to see if anyone else heard or saw Zhan Tiri before she turned to her. “Geez, can you _not_ sneak up on me?” She hissed.  
  
“Aren’t you _curious_ about why _the alchemist_ would be going ‘on patrol’?” Zhan Tiri asked slyly.  
  
“ _I_ don’t want to hear _anything_ you have to say.” She walked away from her.  
  
“Why don’t you ask Rapunzel about ‘Project Obsidian’?” Zhan Tiri asked, handing her a bottle. “This may come in handy, if you wish to get Rapunzel out of the way. After all, you _don’t_ want a repeat of…” She nodded to the stage. “That.”  
  
Cassandra reluctantly accepted the bottle. “…I _still_ don’t trust you, but…fine. I’ll find out what’s going on.” She put it in her bag under the cloak and headed off, Zhan Tiri disappearing into the shadows as she left.  
  
End

**Author's Note:**

> All things considered, that went rather well!   
> The show must go on, after all!


End file.
